Mother Makes Emotional Plea To Find Her Daughter’s Hit-&-Run Killer

4/30/12-Georgie Busch makes a public plea for help tracking down the hit-and-run driver who killed her daughter, Amber Wood, early Friday outside the Broadway Oyster Bar. Amber's brother Chris Busch holds a framed photo of Georgie Busch and Amber Wood. (KMOX/Brett Blume)

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) – Georgie Busch stepped up to the makeshift podium outside the Broadway Oyster Bar near Busch Stadium Monday morning, hugging a cherished photo of herself and her daughter Amber Wood to her body.

They are shown embracing, smiling broadly.

It was taken only a short time before Amber Wood, 23, was struck and killed by a speeding hit-&-run driver while crossing the street near the bar early last Friday morning.

“I’m here today because someone murdered my daughter,” Busch told reporters in a hushed by strong voice. “I wasn’t done with her yet, and she wasn’t done with me. She loved life…she was life.”

Amber Wood was thrown 80 feet through the air by someone driving a gray or silver Pontiac Grand Am or Grand Prix about 1:50 a.m. Friday.

Amber wood

Police have reportedly questioned a person of interest in the case but so far have made no arrests and filed no charges in her death.

The brief but intense press conference featuring friends and family members of Amber Wood was meant to keep public attention focused on the case and hopefully urge somebody who has information or possibly knows more about the driver of the Pontiac to step forward and contact police.

At one point, Georgie Busch had to comfort Matt Anton when he broke down while talking about Amber, who was his girlfriend.

“She was beautiful, fun, caring, loving,” Anton said while choking back tears. “Amber was the love of my life and she was taken from us way too soon.”

Anyone with information is urged to contact the St. Louis police department at (314) 444-2500.

“She had her entire life in front of her,” said Georgie Busch, Amber’s mother. “I’m asking you to help put this person who murdered my daughter in jail.”

A memorial fund for Amber Wood has been set up at First Community Credit Union.